High school and college students who can produce a piece of theater magic for $50 or less are encouraged to apply for the Bellarine Theatre Co.’s second Student Director Showcase, which will be presented at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in September. The application deadline is Aug. 15, and students in grades 10 and higher are eligible.

Applicants may propose a scene, a monologue, a musical number or a dance piece,. In addition to describing their artistic vision for the work, they must explain their approach to the rehearsal process and provide a detailed budget, which cannot exceed $50.

“Our first student showcase (in 2015) featured four directors, and we’d like to include up to 10 this year,” said Jessica Huch, Bellarine co-founder and artistic director. “Participants will be judged by a panel of theater educators and artists who have extensive experience in the field, and we’ll consider not only the execution of the piece, but also how the director worked with his or her collaborators throughout the rehearsal process.”

The winner of the showcase will direct Bellarine’s next junior production, which will kick off the 2018 season and will feature pupils in grades five through nine.

“A few of the students who’ve participated in our junior shows are really excited to apply for the showcase this year,” she said. “But we’re also hoping to attract applicants who may not have been active in our program or their schools’ theater programs. If they’ve always wanted to try directing and think they might want to pursue it in college, they’re welcome to apply.”

All four participants in the 2015 showcase went on to study theater in college, according to Huch. “One of them is coming back to stage-manage our production of ‘Cry-Baby’ this summer,” she added.

Applications can be downloaded from bellarinetheatre.com (click on “special events & fundraisers” under the Season Calendar tab, and scroll down to Student Showcase). For more information, visit the company’s Facebook page or call 609-661-2083. —R.B.